Thruway Connecting Services (TCS)

[Cal H]

Just a thought for you. If you find gaps in the Amtrak/Greyhound/Flix routes, consider researching local bus services, in particular in the more remote areas.

Last September/October I managed LAX to SAC via SLO - SFO - coastal N Cal - coastal Oregon to Florence then across to Bend where I headed south to SAC to meet the Zephyr.
Completed this with 2 Amtrak train rides only, the rest of the journey (about 80%) being bus including 3 Thruway buses. Most of the remaining buses were (relatively) local using all types of bus, all were comfortable and friendly BTW.

Photo (not mine but travelled through this section of the route in N Cal)... spectacular

View attachment 39141

That sounds, and looks, like an amazing journey! And I will take your suggestion to look into local transit. That picture make my want to do this today!!!
Thank you for this. We have never lived anywhere where there was any type of bus service except local service within a city or the Greyhound passing through. We did ride the YARTS last year, but I chalked that up to a tourist ride. Finding smaller local bus services that actually go from one smaller city to the next is a new and learning experience for us

Our paths may have crossed last fall. It was in September when we rode the CS LAX-OAK and a few days later the CZ RIC-RNO and a few days after that the CZ RNO-DEN and completing the CZ run a few days later DEN-CHI.

 

[Traveller]

And I will take your suggestion to look into local transit. That picture make my want to do this today!!!

I too was at a bit of a loss sometimes and discovered even small cities or towns had either a tourist office or a townhall with contact details. Frequently they had all the info you need.

One of my favourite photos ever.

The entire journey was amazing, starting and ending in NYC. I felt I had rediscoved America, such diverisity. Of course, it's always the people you meet along the way that matter most.

 

[caravanman]

I am a bit late to this party, my excuse is that I am on holiday in Portugal and only have my phone...
There were much better Amtrak bus connections in the past, I have gone direct from LAX union station to Las Vegas by bus. No longer an option, but flix bus will work from near the station.
There was even an amtrak bus route from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas a few years ago. I usually go from SAC to Las Vegas, bus, train, bus from Bakersfield.

 

[Traveller]

Where are you exactly?

 

[zephyr17]

I am a bit late to this party, my excuse is that I am on holiday in Portugal and only have my phone...
There were much better Amtrak bus connections in the past, I have gone direct from LAX union station to Las Vegas by bus. No longer an option, but flix bus will work from near the station.
There was even an amtrak bus route from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas a few years ago. I usually go from SAC to Las Vegas, bus, train, bus from Bakersfield.

Neither of those were directly Amtrak's routes, unlike most of the Amtrak California/San Joaquins network that Bakersfield-Vegas is part of. The LA-Vegas and SLC-Vegas routes were codeshares on common carrier intercity bus operator routes, I am pretty sure both were Greyhound.

With the dramatic contraction of intercity bus services in recent years, those codeshare opportunities evaporated and with it Amtrak ticketing options. There are many more such examples besides LA-Vegas-SLC.

Discontinuing those routes wasn't Amtrak's decision and Amtrak had no choice but to accept the consequences of Greyhound's and other bus carriers' decisions.

 

[Willbridge]

Neither of those were directly Amtrak's routes, unlike most of the Amtrak California/San Joaquins network that Bakersfield-Vegas is part of. The LA-Vegas and SLC-Vegas routes were codeshares on common carrier intercity bus operator routes, I am pretty sure both were Greyhound.

With the dramatic contraction of intercity bus services in recent years, those codeshare opportunities evaporated and with it Amtrak ticketing options. There are many more such examples besides LA-Vegas-SLC.

Discontinuing those routes wasn't Amtrak's decision and Amtrak had no choice but to accept the consequences of Greyhound's and other bus carriers' decisions.

This thread piqued my interest, and I began checking some of the former Thruway routes and found that workable bus links are still running., just not according to Amtrak. Some that I checked had gone to less than daily service and others only have one bus trip a day.

My surmise: the poor schedule adherence of Amtrak trains made the cost of guaranteeing connections too high and holding buses for late trains drove off other bus customers. At the best, it was a mutual divorce. At worst, harsh words and lost potentials for both parties.

In happier days, the RAT bus to Train 3 loads at Denver Union Station.

 

[caravanman]

I guess Willbridge has nailed it, with the poor train timekeeping being hard to make work alongside a normal bus schedule.
One advantage of the Las Vegas to LAX Greyhound code share was that us "Amtrak" ticketed folk were allowed to board before the Greyhound customers!
While it is a different world now, folk might like to read up about the better days of Greyhound bus services, and I recommend a book by
Irma Kurtz, "The Great American Bus Ride" published in 1993.

 

[Traveller]

While it is a different world now, folk might like to read up about the better days of Greyhound bus services, and I recommend a book by
Irma Kurtz, "The Great American Bus Ride" published in 1993.

I second that!